Dog that was put down used to be 'little lady'

Monday

Nov 26, 2012 at 5:39 PM

One of the dogs belonging to an Ormond Beach animal control officer that had to be euthanized last week was the subject of a police complaint earlier this year alleging the pit bull mix had been placed in an abusive environment.

LYDA LONGASTAFF WRITER

One of the dogs belonging to an Ormond Beach animal control officer that had to be euthanized last week was the subject of a police complaint earlier this year alleging the pit bull mix had been placed in an abusive environment. Janet Ivanhoe was distraught to read a News-Journal account of how two dogs belonging to animal control officer Shannon Champion were put down after they got loose and attacked a man and killed a cat. One of those dogs, 7-year-old Lady, was once the beloved mascot at the Rockin' Ranch, the Nova Road bar that Ivanhoe owns. "She was the most sweet, lovable dog," said Ivanhoe, who'd rescued the dog from a shelter in hopes of finding it a good home. "I had her here in a crate in my office and my employees would take her for walks and sometimes they'd take her home with them." Ivanhoe can't understand how the dog described by shelter workers as a "little lady" became a public threat. But in April, she filed a complaint with Ormond Beach police, saying "Shannon Champion falsely stated that she wanted to adopt Lady for herself. However, she placed the dog in a documented abusive environment despite warnings." Champion couldn't be reached for comment Monday. A preliminary investigation into the complaint did not sustain Ivanhoe's allegations, police said. Yet on Nov. 16, Lady and another pit bull mix owned by Champion slipped out of Champion's house on Nightingale Lane in the Hidden Hills subdivision, records show. One or both of the dogs attacked a man in his driveway, then ran off and mauled a cat on Heritage Circle. The cat died from its injuries, its owner said. The dogs were put down Nov. 20, the initial police incident report states, after Champion said she would have both animals euthanized because their behavior was unpredictable and aggressive. That's not how Ivanhoe remembers Lady. "She was the mascot of the Rockin' Ranch, that's how lovable she was," Ivanhoe said. Ivanhoe had gotten the dog from Second Chance Rescue in DeLand last year and paid $425 to have it treated for heartworms. She'd been looking for a good home for the dog when she gave it to Champion. Then one day in early April, Ivanhoe said she received a call from a veterinary clinic saying Lady had been found running the streets. Ivanhoe suspected Champion had given the dog to a friend, a former employee at the bar who had tried to adopt the dog. Ivanhoe said the dog came with a limp after a brief stay with the former employee. Ivanhoe said she took back Lady and later gave her to Champion. Jan Potter, a volunteer at Second Chance Rescue, said she was shocked to learn Lady was euthanized. She said the dog was even-tempered, licking her face when Potter would get down on the ground to play with her. The flier printed by Second Chance described the dog as a "little lady who walks nicely on a leash and has a calm personality." "I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that Lady was the most mild-mannered dog I had ever met," Potter said Monday. Potter also said she spoke with Champion on the phone and Champion told her that Lady was going to her "forever home." "I thought that because she (Champion) was an animal control officer (Lady) would have a good home," Potter said. "She (Lady) was a sweet soul."